25-27 May Agriculture Council informal

Date: 29/05/1997

FARM ministers met in the southern Dutch town of Middelburg for three days of discussions which are likely to have a major impact on the future of more than 1 million EU dairy farmers. Dutch Agriculture Minister Jozias van Aartsen presented a document backing the Commission's conclusion that major policy changes were not necessary in the short term. “In the Commission's considered opinion, market developments up to the year 2005 will not necessitate policy changes. There can be little quarrel with that.

Continuation of the present policy therefore seems quite feasible,” concluded the paper.

AS A major exporter of dairy products, the Netherlands called for its partners to decide rapidly on any adjustments to the system to allow long-term planning decisions to be made. Several factors had to be taken into account, it said, notably the need to give farmers advanced warning, and to prepare for EU enlargement and the pending world trade negotiations.

But member states' views vary. The UK and Italy are leading a group of countries looking for higher quotas. Germany is in favour of maintaining high prices and France wants to maximise export opportunities through a system of so-called 'A' and 'B' quotas.